Zuppa lombarda

I read a novel recently, set in Florence, Italy.
The central character served Zuppa lambarda to his dinner party guests so I decided to make it.

Developed in Tuscany, not Lombardy, it was meant to be a hearty, cheap meal served to the hard working miners who came from Lombardy in 1880 and  toiled on the construction of Faentina, the railway line that connects the Tuscan capital with Faenza in Emilia Romagna, passing through the Mugello valley. There are other variations of this story, but all involve the soup being served to people from Lombardy, not made by Lombardians.

It is simply a dish of cannellini beans, served on large croutons of stale bread in a simple soup, using the boiling liquid from the beans.

The whole dish flavoured with a touch of garlic and sage and finished with a dash of olive oil.